Although parental choice emerged as a major public policy issue in the late 1980s,
Michigan parents, like those in most other states, have always had some options in
schooling their children. Parents have always been free to choose private schools for
their children in lieu of sending them to government-funded public schools, although such
choices required extra expenditures. Inner-city religious schools have long been a source
of pride for cities and the religious denominations they represent because of the
high-quality education these schools offer. Likewise, the more "elite" private
academies in our state, such as Cranbrook or Detroit Country Day School, offer students a
strong academic education and grant a small number of students need-based financial aid.